1997 MAZDA MPV Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 MAZDA MPV. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT A CAR WASH, SMOKE FUMES APPEARED FROM THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V674000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT HEAVY FUMES OF SMOKE WERE SEEN COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT STALLED AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT BE REACHED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

I HAVE A SET OF AMERICAN PROSPECTOR SUV RADIAL TIRES ON MY 1997 MAZDA MPV THAT HAVE HAD SUDDEN BLOWOUTS. SO FAR 2 TIRES HAVE BLOWN IN THE PAST MONTH, AND AT THE TIME I WAS JUST DRIVING DOWN A PAVED STREET. THESE TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN OFF ROAD, I CHECK THE INFLATION ONCE A MONTH, SO I CAN SEE NO REASON WHY THE TIRE BEAD AND SIDE WALL WOULD SUDDENLY GIVE AWAY. I HAVE LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND OTHERS WITH THE EXACT SAME TIRES HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. ONE OF THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD PROBLEMS, HAD 15000 MILES ON HIS TIRESWHEN SUDDENLY HE HAD THREE TIRES BLOW OVER A 6 MONTH PERIOD OF TIME. MY TIRES HAVE 20000 MILES ON THEM, AND I HAVE LOST 2 TIRES IN TIRES IN THE PAST MONTH. THE TIRE DEALER REPLACED THE FIRST ONE AS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE NOT TAKEN THE SECOND TIRE IN YET. IN THIS LAST TIRE I WAS JUST DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 45 MPH, AFTER GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE AND SUDDENLY A LOUD BOOM WAS HEARD, AND THEN THE VEHICLE BECAME UNSTABLE AND WITH IN 1/4 MILE I GOT IT TO A SAFE PLACE TO CHANGE THE TIRE. THIS WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE. THE TIRE WAS NOT HOT, ALL THE OTHER TIRES WERE ALSO COOL. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW JUST SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE TIRE SIZE IS 225-70R-15, THE DOT NUMBER IS 3035 XHH 2905. *TR

I AM FILING A COMPLAINT IN REGARD TO MY VEHICLE'S EQUIPMENT THAT FAILED AND WAS FAULTY IN A RECENT AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40-45 MPH IN A STRAIGHT LANE WHEN A VEHICLE QUICKLY ENTERED ACROSS MY PATH TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN. I HAD NO TIME TO BRAKE, SO THE OTHER CAR IS WHAT STOPPED MY MOTION. IT WAS A HARD HIT! MY MAZDA MPV CRASHED INTO THE OTHER PERSON'S CAR. DURING OUR FRONT IMPACT WITH THE OTHER CAR'S DRIVER SIDE, MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSING INJURY. HAD THE AIRBAG WORKED, I FEEL I WOULDN'T HAD SLID INTO THE DASH AND BEEN JERKED BACKWARDS BY MY SEAT BELT RESTRAINT CAUSING INJURY TO MY BACK AND OR SPINAL ALIGNMENT. I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING EVERY DAY FROM THE ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS INJURY. IN ADDITION TO THE CHEST/LAP BELT BEING USED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, I SECURED MY DAUGHTER'S CHEST DURING THE CRASH WITH MY RIGHT ARM, WHICH I BELIEVE HELPED HER TO NOT ATTAIN EVEN MORE INJURY FROM THE AIR BAG NOT DEPLOYING. SHE WAS, HOWEVER,INJURED ON HER LEG FROM THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT UNDER HER SEAT RELEASING ON IT'S OWN FROM THE CRASH AND HITTING HER LEGS CAUSING A CUT THAT WAS TREATED AT THE E.R. THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RELEASE IN A WRECK. I BELIEVE YOU WILL CONSIDER THIS PROBLEM TO ALSO BE FAULTY IN NATURE. I URGE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THESE PROBLEMS SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY BE NOTIFIED WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I ASK THAT YOU AND/OR MAZDA INVESTIGATE THE DEFECTS WITH MY VEHICLE VERY SOON BEFORE I HAVE TO SIGN THE TITLE OVER TO THE DRIVER'S INSURANCE THAT WAS AT FAULT. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN DECLARED "TOTALED" ON 8/14 BY USAA AND IS AT A SALVAGE YARD. PLEASE CONTACT ME SOON TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO ABOUT THE SITUATION. I CALLED MAZDA TODAY AT 800-222-5500, WAS ON HOLD FOR A LITTLE OVER 15 MINUTES TO REPORT THIS WITH THEM AND ASK THEM WHO MADE THE AIR BAGS, SENSOR AND COMPARTMENT UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. A MAN TOLD ME HE WAS UNABLE TO GIVE ME THAT INFORMATION AND HUNG UP. *JB

DRIVING UPHILL ON I-70 AT THE SPEED LIMIT (55) THE CAR LOST ALL POWER, THE DRIVER STEERED TO THE SHOULDER. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BEGAN SMOKING. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE MAZDA MPV ('97) WAS CONSUMED IN FIRE. *NM

AFTER REFILLING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER SMELLED FUMES INSIDE THE CAR. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT BUCKLE KEEPS UNLOCKING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *MR

ENGINE KNOCKING, SVC DEPT ADVISED US TO MAZDA OIL ADDITIVE, BUT STILL KNOCKS EVEN THOUGH LOW MILES. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION WILL GET STUCK WHEN TRYING TO BACK UP AND TURNING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. ALSO, VERY DANGEROUS/NEAR COLLISION BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WOULD GO INTO 4WD ON ITS OWN WHILE WE WERE DRIVING 65 ON THE INTERSTATE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC.

OVERDRIVE INDICATOR BLINKS CONSTANTLY WHEN IGNITION APPLIED, BROUGHT TO DEALER TO SERVICE, TOLD NEED TO REPLACE COMPLETE TRANSMISSION.

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES, SUFFICIENT FRONT END DAMAGE TO WARRANT DEPLOYMENT OF BOTH AIR BAGS. *JB

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON CRASH WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE BOTH VEHICLES WERE TRAVELING ABOUT 50-60. UPON IMPACT, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE OR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS. NOT SURE IF THE VAN WOULD BE TOTALLED. *AK *ML